How Are Commissioners Selected?

Unit Commissioners are appointed by the district commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Unit commissioners should—

Have excellent people skills

Have a Scouting background or be fast-track learners

Know and practice Scouting ideals

Assistant District Commissioners are appointed by the district commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Assistant district commissioners should—

Be able to recruit and work through a team of unit commissioners.

Have excellent people skills

Have a broad Scouting background or be fast-track learners

Know and practice Scouting ideals

Roundtable Commissioners are appointed by the district commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Roundtable commissioners should—

Be congenial and enthusiastic performers

Have the ability to recruit a roundtable staff

Have a good Scouting program background in the program for which they will run roundtables

Be a good planner

District Commissioners are approved and appointed by the council executive board, with the concurrence of the Scout executive, on the recommendation of the district nominating committee.

District commissioners should—

Be widely respected in the community

Be an enthusiastic leader of adults

Have the ability to recruit a complete team of commissioners for their districts

Have the ability to guide and motivate commissioners to visit units regularly, identify unit needs, and help unit adults to meet needs

Be a role model of Scouting ideals

Assistant Council Commissioners are appointed by the council commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Assistant council commissioners should have some of the criteria for district commissioners and/or council commissioners.

A Council Commissioner is elected at the annual meeting of the local council after selection by the council nominating committee.

The council commissioner should—

Have the ability and proven experience to lead and meet objectives through a large structure of other people

Become a role model of exceptional Scouting service to units throughout the council

Be a person with a vision of how a good unit program helps youth stay in the program long enough to learn Scouting values

Have the ability to develop a good working relationship with the Scout executive and professional staff advisor, characterized by mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual recognition of each other's role and competency

Commissioners must not be registered simultaneously as unit leaders. Some commissioners may be registered on a unit committee because they have a son in the unit or because of previous personal history in the unit, but their principle Scouting obligation should be with commissioner responsibilities. Commissioners may be currently registered in only one commissioner position.

See the Commissioner Fieldbook and Commissioner Administration for more details on commissioner criteria and responsibilities.